A rotator cuff tear is one of the most common shoulder injuries that you can sustain in a car accident. Even in minor impact collisions with minimal property damage to the vehicles, a jolt from behind or from the front when the shoulders are locked with arms outstretched can cause the rotator cuff to tear. If you suspect you sustained a rotator cuff tear due to a car wreck, discuss your injury with a Houston car accident attorney to determine whether you may have legal recourse to cover your damages.
What is the Rotator Cuff?
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround and protect the shoulder joint. The rotator cuff holds your humorous bone in the scapula. The rotator cuff enables you to raise your arm over your head and/or rotate your arm outward from the rest of your body.
What is a Rotator Cuff Tear?
A rotator cuff tear is a detachment of the tendon that connects the humerus bone to the scapula. There are two types of rotator cuff tears: full-thickness tears and partial tears. A full-thickness tear of the rotator cuff is when a piece of the tendon is detached from the bone. If it is just a part of the tendon that is detached, it is called a full-thickness incomplete tear. If the entire tendon is dislodged from the bone, it is called a full-thickness complete tear of the rotator cuff. The second type—the partial tear—occurs when the tear does not go all the way through the thickness of the tendon so that it is only partially detached.
How Do You Tear Your Rotator Cuff in a Car Accident?
Rotator cuff tears often occur in car accidents when the occupant tenses up his outstretched shoulders. This often occurs when the front seat occupants see a read-end collision coming before the impact. The natural reaction is often to extend your arms and brace your hands against the steering wheel or the dashboard. Tensing up with arms extended is one of the worst things a driver or passenger can do when they see the collision coming. This can cause far worse injury than when the body is relaxed. In addition to opening them up to rotator cuff tears, tensing up exposes occupants to airbag injury from having their hands blown away from where the airbags launch.
What are the Symptoms of a Torn Rotator Cuff After a Car Accident?
When you tear your rotator cuff in a traumatic event like a car accident, you will feel immediate and intense shoulder pain. Ongoing symptoms of rotator cuff tears include:
- Shoulder pain while lying down,
- Pain with lifting.
- Pain with rotation of the arm.
- Cracking or popping in the shoulder with movement.
Other Causes of Torn Rotator Cuffs
A person may suffer a rotator cuff tear in a premises liability accident where he falls and lands on outstretched arms. Falls from heights suffered in on-the-job accidents are another cause of rotator cuff tears. In addition, the natural degeneration process of repeated use may cause the rotator cuff to tear. This repetitive use may be the result of work, a sport, working out, or any event causing repeated stress on the shoulder joint.
Treatment for a Torn Rotator Cuff
Treatment for a torn rotator cuff will vary depending on the degree of injury and your general health. Rest, ice, anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS), guided exercises, and physical therapy are commonly used. If these do not work, steroid injections and shoulder surgery may be required. It is important to get evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon to determine what course of medical care is right for you.
What Damages Can I Claim for a Torn Rotator Cuff from a Car Wreck?
When you suffer a rotator cuff tear due to a car accident, you have the right to bring a claim against their automobile insurance company for compensation in Texas. The damages that you may be entitled to recover from the car wreck and your injury include:
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Medical bills
- Necessary future medical care
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Mental anguish
- Physical impairment.
Talk to a car accident attorney to determine which damages apply in your case.
Author
